The event brought people together through a shared love of
food, and it also helped to raise awareness for FoodShare Toronto, a local Toronto
charity that supports healthy eating and creates access to fresh food.

The Dinner Under the Stars at Feast of St. Lawrence was an amazing event filled with endless wine, great company, and delicious food. Thank you so much to St. Lawrence Market for hosting a fantastic event, and having us.

Disclaimer:The food provided in this post was complimentary. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.

Ramen Isshin is a ramen establishment
that opened in 2012 by the same people behind Cabbagetown's Kingyo. I
had the pleasure of being invited by Yuki to attend a blog tasting of
their menu a couple weeks ago.
The tasting was held to showcase the summer special 2016, which is
revamped every summer. This year, the featured ramen was the Isshin Cold
Red Miso Ramen, a vegetarian and cold ramen. We were also given the
opportunity to try a ramen dish of our choice, and
all of the appetizers and desserts on the menu.

Ramen Isshin seated about 30 people, and
its decor was very Asian-inspired with wooden panels, and large wall
murals. Staff were also encouraged to greet customers in Japanese, but
they were not overly loud like the ones working in izakayas.

To start, we were introduced to this summer's special, the Isshin Summer Cold Ramen; a bowl of signature thin wavy noodles, wok fried ground red miso tofu mince, fresh sliced okra, kimchi, wood ear mushrooms, topped with sweet white onions, diced tofu, deep fried onions, green onions, and a slice of lime. There was also an option to add additional toppings like marinated egg (+$1.50) or make it non-vegetarian by adding cha shu (+$2.80). The ramen was super refreshing to eat, especially in this heatwave that we've been experiencing lately. It was also generously topped with loads of toppings, and the broth was pretty light. This bowl of ramen is only available until the end of August.

The Deep Fried Pork Gyoza ($5.20) - Crunchy, juicy gyoza served with amazing Isshin "Umami" sauce , was pretty good. It was crispy on the outside, and the pork filling was juicy on the inside.

Age Tofu (Vegan) ($4.90) - Deep fried tofu drizzled in a home made chilli oil and sweet soy topped with green onions. Note that this appetizer is also vegan, so it would be a great alternative for those who have specific dietary restrictions.

Lately, I have been
craving Tako Yaki ($4.90) - deep fried battered octopus formed into
balls topped with bonito flakes, takoyaki sauce & kupe mayo, so of
course I had to try the ones here. Each order came with 6 bountiful
pieces of octopus balls that were
generously topped with mayonnaise, and bonito flakes. The takoyaki was
crispy on the outside, and the interior was filled with tender octopus
pieces. The ones here from Ramen Isshin was one of the better takoyaki
balls that I have tried.

For my main choice of
ramen, I opted for the Spicy Red Miso Ramen ($13.90) - house made chilli
oil, Isshin Red Miso blend, wok fried pork, onions, bean sprouts,
carrots, wood ear mushrooms, chives, green onions, pork belly cha shu
& thick twisty noodles. I
loved the chewy texture of the noodles, and the broth was perfect, as
it was flavorful without being overly rich or oily. I prefer spicy
broths, and the ramen definitely delivered.

Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) opens today! Prior to their official opening date, I had the opportunity to attend CNE Media Preview Day where bloggers and media got a sneak
peek at some of the creative concoctions from this year's The Toronto Star Food
Building. We got to sample several innovative foods for 2016 at the CNE. The CNE opens Friday Aug, 19 and runs until Monday, Sept 5.

Thanks to Pancho's Bakery for the complimentary churros and coffee for breakfast.

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) runs from Aug. 19 to Sept 5. and admission is $18. There is also a discounted rate of $6 if you go after 5 pm from Monday to Thursday. That is an amazing deal! Besides the food, there are tons of new attractions this year like the
Innovation Garage, Star Trek exhibit, and a new waterfront show. Don't forget to use the Grabb app to pre-order at over 30 vendors at the CNE this year.

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Author

Welcome to Foodaholic! A Toronto-based food reviews, travel and lifestyle blog. My name is Sandi, and I am a female living in the city of Toronto (Canada). I am also an entrepreneur working in the field of logistics and e-commerce. When I am not working, I enjoy blogging, traveling, reading, taking photos, and of course eating. I started this blog as I am an avid foodie who also loves to travel, and I wanted an outlet to share my personal experiences.

Contact

If you have any questions, suggestions, media inquires, feedback, etc ... please email me at foodaholic12@gmail.com.

Food Rating System

The rating list is based on the estimated price of a meal for one person (including taxes).

$ = Inexpensive, under $15$$ = Moderately affordable, between $15-$25$$$ = Expensive, between $25-$50$$$$ = Very expensive or fine dining, $50 and up

Disclaimer (Reviews)

This was blog was started for the purpose of sharing my opinions of restaurants that I have dined at (or took out delivery). Some of you may have different taste buds or a completely different dining experience than what I've had, and may disagree with my reviews, which is fine. However, please note that all of the reviews featured on this blog are solely based on my dining experience. Thanks :)